Cope stripper and cooling loop for mold assembling mechanism



July 26, 1955 J A. LAsATl-:R ET AL COPE STRIPPER AND COOLING LOOP FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 20, 1951 umunm .522km goo k :exim :Ej

. INVENTORS John A. Lusater BY Tln; A. Deakns A'TTomY July 26, 1955 J. A. LAsATER ET Al. 2,713,703

' COPE STRIPPER AND COOLING LOOP FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING MECHNISM Filed June 20, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 azioni 9:5533. Eo:

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July 26, 1955 J. A. I AsA'rER ETAL 2,713,703

. COPE STRIPPER AND COOLING LOOP FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-,Sheet 3 Filed June 20, 1951 Typical Casting m mmm 0cm Ts NmD mA N S Inu um Jh T July 26, 1955 J. A. I AsATER ET AL 2,713,703

COPE STRIPPER AND COOLING LOOP FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING MECHANISM Filed June 20, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Al NP Unite COPE STRIPPER AND COLING LP FUR MOLD ASSEMBLENG MECHANSM Application lune 20, 1951, Serial No. 232,524

'7 Claims. (Cl. 22-1) This invention relates to the assembly of foundry molds by mechanized means such as are disclosed by copendino application Serial No. 200,899 on Apparatus and Method for Assembling Foundry Molds, tiled December l5, 1950, in the names of Samuel C. Northington, Jr. and John A. Lasater.

Broadly stated, the object of our invention is to better the performance of and cut down the number of operators needed to run a complete mold assembling installation of the aforesaid mechanized type.

A more specific object is to assure that the molten metal poured into the molds will have ample time to solidify and cool before the mold copes are separated from the mold drags as same progress through the mechanized cycle of mold assembly and casting producnon.

Another obiect is to provide means for automatically stripping the cope from the drag of each poured mold after the molten metal poured into said mold has solidilied.

A further object is to organize our new cope stripping facilities so that each cope separated from a drag will advance automatically onto the cope shake out leading to the cope charging mechanism at station lV of the central or main mold assembling machine utilized by the installation.

A still further object is to interlock our new cope stripper facilities with the installations mold car driving means in such a way that should a drag fail to separate from a cope the entire train of mold cars will automatically be stopped by such failure.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the disclosure and description hereof proceeds.

One illustrative form of apparatus provided by us for practicing this invention is shown by the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1A and 1B taken together constitutea top plan view of a mold assembling installation wherein the cope stripper and cooling loop facilities of our invention here shown in Fig. 1A have been provided for the mold assembling facilities of copending Northington-Lasater application Serial No. (3,899 here shown in Fig. 1B as comprising a central indexing machine surrounded by live cooperating stations which supply the machine with sand charged drag asks and cope flasks plus green sand cores and which receive therefrom assembled molds ready for pouring;

Fig. 2 represents a typical casting which may be produced in a mold that is assembled by the apparatus diagrammed in Figs. lA-lB;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing the components of a typical mold for casting two of the quarter-bend soil pipe fittings of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 shows how the drag, core and cope of Fig. 3 appear after they have been brought together to produce an assembled mold ready for pouring;

Fig. 5 is a section in vertical elevation on line 5-S through the assembled mold of Fig. 4;

rates arent O Z,'Zl3,73 Patented July 26, 1955 Fig. 6 is a View from line 6-6 of Fig. 4 showing the top of the drag and the interior of the core resting in the mold cavity thereof;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation taken on lines P-Q R of Fig. lA showing how the mold car track 32 gradually rises in advancing from point P to point Q and then holds substantially the same elevation in further advancing to point R;

Fig. 8 is a similar side elevation view taken on lines R-S-T-U of Fig. lA showing how the mold car track 32 further rises in advancing from point S to point T and thereafter slopes downwardly in advancing from point T beneath the cope take olf track and thence on to point U;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged View in side elevation showing how the cope stripper lengths of mold car and cope take olf tracks diverge one from the other to effect separation of the cope from the drag as each mold is advanced from point T towards the cope shake out leading to station lV;

Fig. 10 is a top plan View from line 1li- 1() of Fig. 9 showing how each cope in advancing beyond point T rides via its side bars on side rollers of the stripper or take olf track which slopes downwardly towards the aforesaid cope shake out;

Fig. ll is a view on line 11-11 of Fig. 9 showing provision on each mold car of means preventing the carried drag from sliding backwardly therealong; and

Fig. l2 is a section on line 12--12 of Fig. 11 showing further details of said slide prevention means.

The mold assembling and casting production practices to be benefitted The cope stripper and cooling loop improvements of our invention are here illustratively shown as being applied to mold assembling and casting production apparatus organized as per the aforesaid co-pending Northington-Lasater application Serial No. 200,899, led December 15, 1950, under title of Apparatus and Method for Assembling Foundry Molds.

That apparatus is suitable for the production of castings having a wide variety of sizes, shapes and characters (including solid as well as hollow formation). Of these the quarter bend soil pipe elbow represented at 10 in Fig. 2 may be considered as typical. To produce castings such as 1i? in static molds of conventional character requires preparation and assembly of the component parts for each mold which are represented in Fig. 3.

These include a lower flask half 12 referred to as the drag; an upper flask half 14 referred to as the cope; suitable green sand 13 or the like packed into both the drag andcope for receiving cavity impressions 16 from the casting pattern (not here shown); and a core 15 (green sand or other) placed within the mold cavity to'form the hollow interior of casting 10. In the illustration here made the aforesaid casting pattern and cooperating core 15 are both shaped to provide for simultaneously casting two of the quarter bend ttings 10 in each mold 12-14 when assembled as indicated in Fig. 4; and the represented green sand core 15 is shown as being provided with a reinforcing arbor indicated at 21 in Figs. 5 and 6.

From Figs. 4-5-6 it will be seen that after mold assembly the core 15 rests in cavity 16 of the drag 12; that the cope 14 has been lowered upon the drag where it is maintained in accurately aligned relationship by pins 1'7 upstanding from the drag ends over which are tted mating brackets 18 attached to the cope ends; and that the two flask halves 12 and 14 are held together by opposing end clamps 19 that engage cooperating lugs 20 on the drag and cope frames.

When so assembled there is provided within the mold interior an open cavity space shown at 22 in Figs. 5 6 into which space there flows molten metal when poured from a ladle (not shown) into the sprue opening 23 (see Figs. 3 4) in the cope sand; said poured metal flowing downwardly through opening 23 and then horizontally through passage 24 (see Figs. 3 and 6) in the drag sand and thence into the aforesaid mold cavity 22 communicating with that passage,

Illustrative mold assembling facilities improvenble by our invention ln accordance with said l\lorthington-Lasater application Serial No. 209,899 the preparation, manipulation and assembly operations are accomplished mechanically and more or less automatically; mold assembly speed thereby being increased and various other benefits being made available. illustrative apparatus for accomplishing such mechanized assembly of the molds is diagrammatically represented in Fig. 1B as utilizing a central indexing machine 30.

Said central mold assembling machine 36 is equipped with a turret rotatable about a vertical axis and provided with five arm heads et) spaced circumferentially (72 apart) around the turret; and each of the cope ilasks ld and each of the drag ilasks l2 is provided with side bars 2S on both sides thereof to facilitate handling during mold assembling operations.

As above intentioned the assembling facilities shown in Fig. 1B form the subject matter ofcopending application Serial No. 260,899 and it will here suffice merely to point out that central assembling machine 3i) prepares completely assembled molds 12--14 and delivers each at the station designated V t a car 33 of a continuously moving conveyor which surrounds machine 3i) and which is composed of numerous such cars linked together and mounted upon a suitable track 32. Said machine 3) is provided with mechanism to periodically index it (in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1B) through the angular distance (72) between the represented arm heads 60 (ve are shown here) whereby each set of upper and lower flask receiving arms (one set per head) progressively occupies at-rest positions spaced around the turret peripherys rotative path at the station locations designated i-il-lll-lV-V- At station i a sand charged drag 12 is introduced into the head 60 there coming to rest; at station Il a core box 26 with a prepared core l5' therein is introduced into said head; in moving from station li to station Ill the head titl is rolled over and at station lli said core box 26 is removed leaving said core l in the cavity of said sand charged drag ".2; at station lV a sand charged cope ld is introduced into said head; and at station V the assembled niold is removed from said central machine Zit).

Following placement of each assembled mold l2-14 upon one of the cars 33, molten metal is poured into the mold from a suitable ladle. Thereafter, upon continued travel of the cars of said conveyor (in a counterclockwise direction in system of Fig. 1B) various operations are performed on each assembled mold to remove the cope i4 thereof from the drag l2 thereof; to shake the sand from the removed cope and return that cope flask to charging machine 243 where it is recharged with sand; to remove the castings lll from the drags l2; and to shake out (at d6), rec' arge (at Htl) and return the drag flasks l2 to station l.

Electric motor acting through drive mechanism 35 serves to advance the continuous train of mold cars 33 along the track 32; the speed of such advancement being controlled by the speed adiuster, Fig. lA, so as to correlate the movement of the conveyor cars 33 with the speed with which machine 30 can assemble drags l2, cores l5' and copes i4 into complete molds ready for pouring.

Heretofore it has been the practice to have the aforesaid car track 32 bend directly around cope shake out 47, at which point copes lf2, were lifted from drags l2 by a (l power hoist run by operator who manually placed them upon cope shake out lt7 leading via track 241 to cope charging machine Before each cope could be lifted from its associated drag, however, it was necessary to allow sufficient time for the poured molten metal to solidify; and because of the proximity of the pouring area (adjacent station V) to the cope shake out 47 this necessitated slowing down the speed of the conveyor to a point where machine 3) could assemble the molds even faster than the conveyor could handle them, thereby limiting the top operating speed of said machine with J The Improvements added by present Invention The improvements of our invention as depicted by Figs. 1A, 7-8-9l0l l-l2 substantially extend the time during which poured castings can cool before the copes t4 are removed from the drags 12; they eliminate all need for an operator at cope shake out li7 leading to station lV; and they provide still further benets later to become evident.

rl`hese improvements reside in a cooling loop 360 of the mold car track 32 through which loop the mold cars 33 pass as shown in Fig. 1A instead of proceeding around the cope shake out 47 directly as in co-pending NorthingtOn-Lasater application Serial No. 200,899 reproduced in Fig. 1B; in a cope stripper roller track 362 positioned above the return portion of loop 360 as indicated by Figs. lA, 8 and 9 to lead the copes 14 away from the drags l2 and convey those drags directly upon cope shake out 47; and in means including limit switch l( for interlocking these new cope stripper facilities with the mold car driving motor 35 in such a way that should a drag fail to separate from a cope the entire train of mold cars will automatically be stopped by such failure.

From Figs. lA-lB it will be seen that the mold car track 32 encircling station IV has been opened at cope shake out 47 and continued through the named external loop 36d along which loop there pass the cars 33 that carry the assembled molds 12-14 from opposite station V where those molds have received molten iron from the pouring ladle. The length Of this external loop is suilcient to allow adequate cooling of the poured metal before the mold cars reapproach cope shake out 47 via the exit portion of loop 350.

ln so advancing through loop 360 the mold car track '52 undergoes the changes in elevation which Figs. 7-8-9 depict. That is, in advancing from point P to point Q the track 32 rises as indicated in Fig. 7; in further passing around the bend of loop 36) from point Q to point R the track 32 stays at substantially the same elevation as Fig. 7 also shows; in thereafter passing from point R through point S and to point T the track 32 rises to the highest point in its circuit as Fig. 8 indicates, this elevation being sufficient to clear the assembled molds lf3- i4 carried by cars 33 beneath the exit end of loop Soll as Fig. 8 further shows; and in passing from point T to point U the track 32 slopes downwardly through the two stages which Fig. 8 further represents.

Starting at point T (see Figs. lA, 8 9) there is superimposed above the main car track 32 the aforesaid roller track 362 which functions as a cope stripper. This roller track 362 is organized in the manner represented by Figs. 1A, 8 9-10. lt comprises two side bars 361i 365 each of which carries on its inside face a series of rollers 3%. These rollers are disposed to engage the lower faces of cope side bars 2S, as Figs. 9 and l() most clearly indicate, whereby to support the entire weight of the cope on the rollers.

it will thus be seen that as each poured mold .l2- i4 is brought along cooling loop track 32 to point T, the side bars 28 of cope lll pass between the rows of cope stripper rollers 36-5 along the top roller surfaces. Stripper track 3&2 slopes downwardly to cope shake out 47 very gradually whereas the mold car track 32 immediately therebeneath slopes downwardly much more rapidly. In consequence, advancement of each assembled mold beyond point T (Fig. 9) results in a dropping away of each drag 12 from its associated cope 14; this separation being fully completed when the mold cars 33 have advanced only a relatively short distance beyond point T, as Fig. 9 clearly shows.

An important prerequisite for such separation is that each assembled mold 12-14 have the end clamps 19 (see Fig. 3) removed therefrom before the car reaches point T. Such removal preferably is effected at some point in the cooling loop 360 such as R or S which is fairly close to cope stripper entrance T. rThis allows the cope 14 rigidly to be held (by clamps 19) in place on drag 12 for a longer period of time after mold pouring than would be possible were the cooling loop 360 not to be provided.

in order that each drag 12 will remain on its carrying car 33 during the aforesaid stripping operations, each of the mold cars represented is provided with the protruding knuckles shown at 368 in Figs. 9, 1l and 12. These knuckles 368 are carried by support bars 369 mounted on the mold car top 33 along the left and right sides thereof as shown in Figs. 11-12, and each knuckle protrudes above the top of its bar just back of the forward wall of the drag portion of the assembled mold 12-14 that is set upon the car 33 opposite the Moldoff station V of Fig. 1B. Function of said protrusions 368 is to prevent the car 33 from sliding forwardly beneath the carried drag 12 while the cope 14 is being stripped from the drag as depicted in Figs. 8-9 (all other forces tending to slide the drag 12 with respect to its carrying car 33 are amply restrained by the friction between the drag and the bars 369 which support it during progression of the car along track 32).

t may be mentioned that the aforesaid oars 369 upon the mold car tops 33 have there been provided in order to facilitate placement of the assembled molds 12-14 as taken from station V (Fig. 1B) upon empty cars 33 (approaching that station) by automatic facilities which are not shown here but which are disclosed and claimed by the earlier mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 243,588, tiled August 25, 1951, in the names of John A. Lasater and Thomas A. Deakins for Automatic Take Off and Lowering of Assembled Molds from Assembling Mechanism to Conveying Cars. In instances where said car top bars 359 may not be needed, the aforesaid knuckles 368 may be mounted directly on the car tops 33 or other equivalent means may be provided for keeping each drag l2 in proper position on its carrying car while the cope 14 is being stripped therefrom.

Following separation of the cope 14 therefrom in the manner set forth above each drag 12 with casting 10 therein continues on its car 33 beyond point T along track 32 out from under cope stripper roller track 362 and towards point U as indicated by Fig. 1A. From Figs. 7-8 it will be seen that point U following the exit of cooling loop 360 is at the same elevation as at point P near the cooling loop entrance; this low elevation continuing rather uniformly throughout the entire remainder of track 32s circuit around the central assembling machine shown at 30 in Fig. 1B. From point U each drag 12 with casting 10 therein progresses towards casting shake out 45 in exactly the same manner as in the original system of co-pending Northington-Lasater application Serial No. 200,899.

Each cope 14 stripped from its associated drag 12 by action of roller track 362 rolls along that track by gravity on to the top of cope shake out 47. Fig. 9 shows that said shake out top likewise has a gentle slope and that said slope coincides with the entrance of cope flask return track 241 leading to cope charging machine 240 (see Figs. 1A-1B).

Following its separation each cope 14 accordingly passes from stripper track 362 upon the vibrating grate of shake out 47. Here the vibrations serve to remove all sand from the cope and cause the cope to Slide across the grate surface and then enter return track 241 for further advancement therealong by gravity towards cope charging machine 240. Such automatic separation of the copes from the drags in their approach to cope shake out 47 at station IV eliminates the` hoist lifting and manual handling of the copes that previously was necessary, and cuts down the number of operators needed to run the complete installation.

Interlocking of cope stripper with mold car drive The improvements of our invention further include means for interlocking the cope stripper facilities with the installations mold car driving motor 35 in such a Way that should a drag 12 fail to separate from a cope 14 the entire train of mold cars 33 will automatically be stopped by such failure.

Use here is rnade of limit switch K mounted beneath one side 365 of the cope stripper track 362 in the manner indicated by Figs. 1A, 9-10. In the arrangement here illustrated this limit switch K is of the normally closed variety and its contact 370 is included in the power supply circuit for car drive motor 35 as schematically indicated at 370 in Fig. lA. As long as each drag 12 moves downwardly with its car 33 completely out of contact with the cope 14 stripped therefrom, the limit switch K remains undisturbed and closed Contact 37) thereof allows energizing current to iiow to car drive motor 3S.

Should however (as by leaving clamps 19 on the assembled mold), one of the copes 14 be carried upwardly with it the associated drag 12, the side wall of this drag will engage limit switch K (see Figs. 9-l0) and effect an opening of contact 370. Such opening breaks the power circuit to motor 35 and shuts down the car drive mechanism 35, thereby arresting further movement of the entire train of mold cars 33 along the main track 32. Such stoppage of the mold car train persists until the unseparated drag 12 is dropped free from cope 14 (see Fig. 9) or otherwise disengaged from limit switch K. Such disengagement effects reclosure of switch contact 370 and thereby recompletes the power circuit for car drive motor 35.

The aforesaid interlocking may of course be accomplished in various other ways equivalent to the illustrative showing herein made of limit switch K and its normally closed contact 370. Tie essential function to be accomplished is that each failure of a cope 14 to separate from its associated drag 12 shall be detected and shall effect stoppage of the car drive mechanism until the faulty operation has been corrected.

Further disclosed by Fig. 1A (but not directly forming a part of the interlocking facilities here illustrated) is an electric eye device 372 which may be organized to count the number of assembled molds 12-14 which are carried by cars 33 past a given point along the main track 32.

Operation of complete system as here improved How the complete system incorporating our improvements operates will have become more or less apparent from the foregoing description of the various component devices and parts which make up that system. It is first of all to be observed that the fundamental functions of mold assembly and casting production are little changed from those performed by the facilities of Fig. 1B as disclosed by copending Northington-Lasater application Serial No. 200,899 earlier referred to.

But by reason of the cope stripper and cooling loop improvements of the present invention (Figs. 1A, 78-9-l0) certain limitations have been removed from said earliersystem operation and certain advantages have been secured therefor. Perhaps the most important limitation so removed is the former restriction in casting production speed to a value which allowed ample setting and cooling of the poured castings during travel of the assembled molds Elfilis from the point of pouring (generally opposite station V) to their arrival opposite cope shake out 47 where the unimproved system required that the copes M be removed from the drags l2 (and castings 10 therein) for placement of those copes upon snake out d'7.

By reason of tbe greatly extended length of mold car travel which the added cooling loop lA) provides the time for casting cooling is so greatly extended that this factor no longer imposes any limitation on the speed of casting production which can Successfully be attained.

Moreover it has already been pointed out that in the original system of Northington-Lasater application Serial No. 299,899 the services of an operator at cope shake out 47 were required to manipulate a power hoist by which the copes t4 were lifted from their associated drags l?. and placed face down upon shake out 4" leading to cope charging machine 240 at station lV.

With the new cope stripper facilities (including roller track 362 etc.) here added, all need for such operator at shake out 47 is dispensed with; that previously required operator being fully replaced by our automatic cope stripping facilities already described in detail. ln actual practice these cope stripping facilities are found to function most successfully in the manner intended and to operate with a high degree of reliability,

The interlocking, feature including limit switch K serves to shut down the car drive mechanism 3:5' in the event of cope separation failure, and all hazard which otherwise might attend such failure is effectively eliminated.

Summary The technique and facilities herein disclosed have practical utility of a high order and the specilic cope stripping and casting cooling functions described therefor are accordingiy to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

lt will thus be seen that our invention betters the performance of and cuts down the number of operators eeded to run a complete mold assembling installation of the mechanized type here considered; that our inventive improvements assure ample time for the molten metal poured into the molds to solidify and cool before the mold copes are separated from the mold drags; that our invention has provided means for automatically stripping the cope from the drag of each poured mold; that these stripping facilities are organized so that each cope separated from a drag advances automatically on to the cope shake out without any assistance on the part of an operator; and that said cope stripper facilities are interlocked v ith the installations mold car drive means in such a way that the entire train of mold cars will be stopped by cope separation failure.

@ur inventive improvements are therefore extensive in their adaptation and hence are not to be restricted to the specific form herein disclosed.

What we claim is:

l. ln a mold assembling installation the combination of a power driven conveyor having a downwardly inclined portion, said conveyor moving in the dit ction of said downward inclination and carryingl assembled molds along its length as it approaches said inclined portion, said assembled molds including a carrying on its top a. vertically removable cope that has an outer support bar extending along its left side and an outer support bar extending along its right side relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor, cope stripper means effective to vertically remove said cope `from said drag during progression of. the mold along said inclined conveyor portion and convey the removed copes to a remote point, said stripper means con'fprising two laterally spaced rows of rollers spaced above the inclined portion of the conveyor and extending from the beginning of said inclined portion in the direction thereof for at least a predetermined portion of the length of said inclined portion and leading to a point remote from the conveyor, one of said rows of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath one of the side bars on the cope and the other row of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath the other side bar as each mold enters said inclined conveyor portion, said rows of rollers being inclined downwardly in the forward direction of movement of the copes therealong but diverging with respect to the inclined portion of the conveyor sufficiently to vertically lift the cope from the drag during progression of the mold along said predetermined portion of said inclined conveyor portion, the incline of said rows of rollers being sufficiently steep so said copes move therealong by gravity.

2. ln a mold assembling installation the combination of a conveyor having a downwardly inclined portion, said conveyor moving in the direction of said downward inclination and carrying assembled molds along its length as it approaches said inclined portion, said assembled molds including a drag carrying on its top a vertically removable cope that has an outer support bar extending along its left side and an outer support bar extending along its right side relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor, cope stripper means effective to vertically remove said cope from said drag during progression or" the mold along said inclined conveyor portion and convey the removed copes to a remote point, said stripper means comprising two laterally spaced rows of rollers spaced above the inclined portion of the conveyor and extending from the beginning of said inclined portion in the direction thereof for at least a predetermined portion of the length of said inclined portion and leading to a point remote from the conveyor, one of said rows of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath one of the side bars on the cope and the other row being positioned to engage and ride beneath the other side bar as each mold enters said inclined conveyor portion, said rows of rollers being inclined downwardly in the direction of movement of the copes therealong but diverging with respect to the inclined portion of the conveyor sufficiently to vertically lift the cope from the drag during progression of the mold along said predetermined portion of said inclined conveyor portion, and

cope shakeout means at the end of said rows of rollers and slightly below the same to receive the copes there- `from by gravity, the incline of said rows of rollers being sulliciently steep so said copes move therealong by gravity.

3. in a mold assembling installation, the combination of a track having a given portion which nclines downwardly; mold cars disposed on and adapted to move along said track said cars being coupled into a train; means for moving the cars in said train successively along said track portion in the direction of its downward inclination; each of said cars as it approaches said track portion carrying an assembled mold made up of a lower drag and an upper cope resting upon the top of the drag and being vertically removable therefrom, each of said copes being provided with means forming downwardly facing support surfaces extending laterally from each side thereof relative to the direction of movement of the cars; a pair of parallel elongated support members commencing at the forward end of the inclined track portion and extending in spaced relation above and in the direction of said track portion to a point remote from the track, said elongated support members being inclined downwardly in the direction of movement of the cars along said track portion but diverging suciently from said track portion in said direction of movement to provide suicient vertical displacement to vertically lift said cope from said drag within the length of said track portion, said support members being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of said cope but less than the distance between the laterally extending support surfaces on said cope and positioned to receive the cope therebetween, the vertical spacing of the beginning of said support members above said track being but slightly less than the spacing of said support surfaces above said track so that said support surfaces ride over and engage said support members upon initial advancement of the mold along said track portion, the incline of said elongated support members being suiciently steep so said copes move therealong by gravity; and means responsive to a failure of the drag to separate from the cope during progression of the mold along said downwardly inclined track portion and effective upon said failure to render said means for moving the cars inoperative.-

4. In a foundry installation the combination of a central mold assembling machine having a cope station where prepared copes are successively introduced thereinto and assembled with prepared drags, a continuous conveyor encircling said machine and at a predetermined point receiving assembled molds from said machine, said molds including a drag carrying on its top a vertically removable cope that has an outer support bar extending along its left and right sides, respectively, relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said conveyor at a location a predetermined distance after said predetermined point being elevated so that said support bars are substantially higher than said cope station, said conveyor sloping downwardly immediately after said location, conveyor means extending from a point immediately above said location downward to said cope station, said conveyor means including two laterally spaced parallel rows of rollers spaced above said downwardly sloping portion of the conveyor and extending from said location in the direction of said downwardly sloping portion, one of said rows of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath one of the side bars of the cope and the other row of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath the other side bar as each mold reaches said location and starts down said downwardly sloping portion, said rows of rollers being inclined downwardly in the direction of movement of the copes therealong but diverging with respect to the downwardly sloping portion of the conveyor suiciently to vertically lift the copes from the drags, the downward inclination of said rows of rollers being suicient for movement of the copes therealong by gravity.

5. In a mold assembling installation the combination of a conveyor having a downwardly inclined portion, said conveyor moving in the direction of said downward inclination and carrying assembled molds along its length as it approaches said inclined portion, means for effecting movement of said conveyor, said assembled molds including a drag carrying on its top a vertically removable cope that has an outer support bar extending along its left side and an outer support bar extending along its right side relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor, cope stripper means effective to vertically remove said cope from said drag during progression of the mold along said inclined conveyor portion and convey the removed copes to a remote point, said stripper means comprising two laterally spaced rows of rollers spaced above the inclined portion of the conveyor and extending from the beginning of said inclined portion in the direction thereof for at least a predetermined portion of the length of said inclined portion and leading to a point remote from the conveyor, one of said rows of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath one of the side bars on the cope and the other row of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath the other side bar as each mold enters said inclined conveyor portion, said rows of rollers being inclined downwardly in the forward direction of movement of the copes therealong but diverging with respect to the inclined portion of the conveyor sufficiently to vertically lift the cope from the drag during progression of the mold along said predetermined portion of said inclined conveyor portion, the incline of said rows of rollers being suiciently steep so said copes move therealong by gravity, switch means disposed beneath said rows of rollers a predetermined distance from the end thereof in the direction of movement of the copes therealong and at a location to be contacted by the drag portion of the mold only if the cope and drag fail to separate, said switch being effective when contacted by a drag to render said means for moving the conveyor ineffective.

6. In a foundry installation the combination of a central mold assembling machine having a cope station where prepared copes are successively introduced thereinto and assembled with prepared drags, a continuous conveyor encircling said machine and at a predetermined point receiving assembled molds from said machine, means effective to move said conveyor, said molds including a drag carrying on its top a vertically removable cope that has an outer support bar extending along its left and right sides, respectively, relatively to the direction of movement of the conveyor, said conveyor at a location a predetermined distance after said predetermined point being elevated so that said support bars are substantially higher than said cope station, said conveyor sloping downwardly immediately after said location, conveyor means extending from a point immediately above said location downward to said cope station, said conveyor means including two laterally spaced parallel rows of rollers spaced above said downwardly sloping portion of the conveyor and extending from said location in the direction of said downwardly sloping portion, one of said rows of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath one of the side bars of the cope and the other row of rollers being positioned to engage and ride beneath the other side bar as each mold reaches said location and starts down said downwardly sloping portion, said rows of rollers being inclined downwardly in the direction of movement of the copes therealong but diverging with respect to the downwardly sloping portion of the conveyor sufficiently to vertically lift the copes from the drags, the downward inclination of said rows of rollers being sufficient for movement of the copes therealong by gravity, switch means disposed beneath said rows of rollers a predetermined distance from the end thereof in the direction of movement of the copes therealong and at a location to be contacted by the drag portion of the mold only if the cope and drag fail to separate, said switch being effective when contacted by a drag to render the means for moving the conveyor ineffective.

7. In a foundry installation the combination of a central mold assembling machine having a cope station where prepared copes are successively introduced thereinto and assembled with prepared drags, a moving continuous conveyor encircling said machine and at a predetermined point receiving assembled molds from said machine, said molds including a drag carrying on its top a vertically removable cope, said conveyor at a location a predetermined distance after said predetermined point being elevated so that the copes of the molds disposed thereon are higher than said cope station, said conveyor sloping downwardly immediately after said location, conveyor means extending from a point immediately above said location downwardly to said cope station, said conveyor means being divided into two lengths separated by a cope shakeout means and being constructed and arranged to engage said copes as the molds move along the inclined portion of said conveyor and vertically separate the copes from the drags, said conveyor means being suiiiciently inclined downwardly in the forward direction and so constructed that said copes move therealong by gravity, said cope shakeout means including a vibrating screen inclined in the direction of inclination of said conveyor means suiiciently for gravity movement of the copes therealong with said screen being disposed with relation to said con- 1 1 1 2 veyor means so the copes move from the conveyor means 1,127,113 Thiemann Feb. 2, 1915 onto the screen and from the screen onto the Conveyor 1,538,576 Mulvihili May 19, 1925 means by gravity. 1,798,485 Mulvihiil Mar. 31, 1931 2,168,898 Christensen et al Aug. 8, 1939 References Cited in the file Gf this Patent 5 2,609,206 Christensen June 10, 1952 UNTTED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES U37 JOhPSfOH APf- 2 1901 Pages 546, 547, 55o, 552 and 553, volume 557 Transac- 818,927 Walt@ APR 241 1906 tions of the American Foundrymens Association, Ameri- 997,306 ii/Iaciean July 11, 1911 1108 694 B kh dt Au 25 191A 10 can Foundryrnens Association, Chicago, illinois, 1948.

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